The
streets of downtown Mexico City contain numerous stories about the jews
that have inhabited them since the early 1500's.

The
purpose of these guided visits is to follow their footsteps, to get to
know places related to their experiences and in this way rediscover part
of this City's history and the jews involved in it.

A
neighbourhood.

Typical
settlement of jewish immigrants in downtown Mexico.

Photo
archive Manuel Taifeld.

Synagogue
Justo Sierra "Monte Sinai"

(1923.
Photo by Steve Littman.).

Here
is the challenge: to recreate a period and the memories of a life as lived
by the jews in urban Mexico. An excercise of will due to the fact that
the city and people have changed but history and memory aid us in making
the streets talk.

After
a long and uncertain journey from foreign lands such as Poland, Ukranie,
Syria or Greece, the immigrants arrived without any monetary or linguistic
resources and with customs totally foreign to Mexico. Without a clear future
and in many ocasions with part of the family awaiting news from the other
side of the sea.

Cinema
"El Salón Rojo".

One
of the first cinemas in Mexico, owned by Jacobo Granat.

Photo
archive Manuel Taifeld.

At
the streets of Downtown Mexico City the jews found the grounds to begin
a new life. It was there, upon meeting their fellow countrymen, that they
began to feel conforted. On these streets they achieved economic stability;
they recreated their organizations, built synagogues and became settled.
At streets with names such as Jesus Maria, Santísima, Las Cruces
(which translated mean the Street of Jesus-Mary, Holiest Street and the
Street of the Crosses) ironic names that identify jewish life - cotidianity
of the jewish people took place in this corner of exile, which now has
more that 80 years in an organized manner.

Beginning
at Downtown is where jews became a part of Mexico's culture.